HOTEL WORKERS RALLY
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hotel workers represented by Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 5 rallied in Gateway Park yesterday before marching up Kalakaua Avenue into Waikiki. The workers are pressing for Waikiki hotels to come to an agreement with the union on a new labor contract.
THE NAMESAKE AND THE OWNER
KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Don Ho, left, talked yesterday with Fred Livingston at Don Ho's Island Grill in the Aloha Tower Marketplace. Livingston is buying the restaurant from current owner Shep Gordon.
ON THE MAINLAND
Trade deficit jumped to record during April
WASHINGTON >> Americans' appetite for foreign-made cars, TVs and clothes propelled the U.S. trade deficit to a record $35.9 billion in April.The deficit was 10.7 percent higher than the $32.5 billion trade gap reported for March, the Commerce Department reported today.
Imports in April rose twice as fast as exports. Imports of goods and services increased 4.7 percent to $116 billion as the U.S. economic recovery helped to boost consumer demand for cheaper-priced foreign-made goods.
United pilots union leaders OK pay cuts
ROSEMONT, Ill. >> Leaders of United Airlines' pilots union signed off on a multimillion-dollar recovery plan yesterday, sending the deal -- which includes pay cuts -- to rank-and-file members for a vote.The United Airlines Pilots Association's master executive council endorsed an agreement reached last week by the airline and union negotiators. The union said the deal is expected to save the struggling airline $560 million over three years. Specific terms were not released.
Martha Stewart says stock sale was legit
NEW YORK >> Martha Stewart faced Wall Street and the press for the first time yesterday since she became embroiled in the ImClone insider trading scandal, arriving armed with what might be the best defense: an improved earnings outlook for her media company.At the start of an hourlong presentation at an industry conference during which she delivered the good news, Stewart matter-of-factly restated her contention that there was no wrongdoing in her December sale of nearly 4,000 ImClone shares. The sale took place the day before federal regulators announced they would not even consider the biotech company's key drug for approval, sending ImClone shares plummeting.
TRW sells aeronautical unit to Goodrich Corp.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. >> Global aerospace parts maker Goodrich Corp. has agreed to buy TRW Inc.'s aeronautical systems businesses for $1.5 billion in cash, as TRW restructures rather than accept an unsolicited takeover bid from defense contractor Northrop Grumman.The deal "will expand Goodrich's product line and open new growth opportunities," Goodrich Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David L. Burner told analysts on a teleconference call yesterday.
It was not immediately clear how the Goodrich deal might affect a hostile takeover bid by Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp.
AROUND THE WORLD
Export increase boosts Japan trade surplus
TOKYO >> A surge in exports of cars, computer chips, flat screen TVs and other hi-tech products, mainly to Asia, underpinned a 715 percent rise in Japan's trade surplus in May from a year ago -- nearly double market forecasts.The Ministry of Finance, which released the data today, said Japan's customs-cleared trade surplus expanded for a third straight month to &YEN619.2 billion yen ($5 billion).
That compared with the &YEN344.5 billion surplus expected by economists and followed a 26.6 percent rise in April. On a month-on-month basis, the surplus was up 17.1 percent.
More Japanese tourists visit Vietnam
HANOI, Vietnam >> The number of international visitors to Vietnam rose 10.1 percent, to 1.275 million, during the first six months of this year, the official Vietnam News Agency reported today. The number of visitors from South Korea grew the most -- 49 percent. Arrivals from Japan increased 25 percent, from Australia 12 percent, and China 11 percent, the VNA said.
BACK TO TOP |
[Hawaii Inc.]
New jobs
>> Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc. promoted Kris Tanahara to senior account executive. Tanahara's accounts include Westin Maui, Honolulu Festival Foundation, Home Depot, Pacific Basin Communications and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. She previously served as an account executive at the firm.
Promotions
>> Erik Snyder has been appointed as estimator for Kaikor Construction Associates Inc. He is responsible for project selection and will oversee all project bids and the $1.1 million pipeline replacement project at the Hanapepe River Crossing on Kauai. Snyder joined Kaikor in 1996 as a co-op engineer and later became neighbor island manager.>> Paul Brown has promoted Angela Howard to managing director of operations for all Paul Brown Salons and Day Spas in Hawaii. She is responsible for four outlets at Ward Centre, Waikele, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel and Kailua.
Howard, a 10-year employee of the company, was formerly manager of the company's full-service salon in Waikele.
Recognition
>> Three VoiceStream Wireless employees were recently honored at the company's 24th Annual Distinguished Sales & Marketing Awards for their excellence and outstanding performance in sales and marketing in Hawaii for 2001. Randy Ganigan, a territory representative and former national account manager for Voicestream Wireless, had the highest national sales quota expectation for sales. Tammy Yano Oka, a senior account executive, was ranked among the top five account executives for the company nationwide. Paul Tse, a retail sales manager, produced the leading percentage of retail sales.
